A Lot Of Things Are Strange
by morrigan-hell-yeah
Summary: Really really bad, crossposted on Wattpad and AO3. Links to both on my profile. Sorry for any mistakes. Sexual references.


It was approximately eleven thirty post meridian on the penultimate day of the year, and Morrigan Crow was sitting cross-legged on her bedroom floor with a few bitter tears running down her cheeks, and a seventeen-year-old cradling her tightly.

Morrigan hadn't much idea how she and Jack had gotten there in particular, but she vaguely recalled it had something to do with a Unit 918 boy who wasn't meant to be hurting her, and a bottle of wine she wasn't meant to be drinking. She lay back against Jack sorrowfully, letting out a hicupping sob. "I mean, on the day before my _birthday_! In a _letter_! Really, Darwin? He couldn't have- have waited until..." Morrigan trailed off, and Jack patted her back reassuringly. "I know, Morrigan. I know."

A few awkward moments of silence ensued, and then Morrigan suddenly got up, untangling herself from Jack's tight grip. "I want icecream." He looked confused for a moment, and then replied, exasperated, "Oh, no, Morrigan. Don't start this cliché."

Morrigan pouted defiantly, refraining from stamping her foot. "But Jack, I want icecream! Just because Darwin's a dick, doesn't mean it's cliché if I want icecream."

Jack got up reluctantly, running a hand down his face. "Fine then. But shush."

A huge smile spread across Morrigan's face.

* * *

The two teenagers tiptoed out of Morrigan's room, Jack silently closing the door behind them and grabbing two torches from a cleaner's cabinet. Down the stairs, into the lobby. (Morrigan had to steel herself to stop panicking that Squall would be there- it was much too familiar a situation.) Down the hall, into the kitchen. (Jack looked around for Chef Honeycutt warily, reminded of the last time he had snuck down for a snack.)

It was far less terrifying a situation with a friend for both of them.

Morrigan opened a freezer, shining the torch she had brought up and down the shelves before closing the door. Jack did the same, finding only ravioli and meat. No icecream.

"I'm sorry about Darwin," Jack said, abruptly, nearly insincerely, in a hushed tone, closing a freezer.

Morrigan pulled a tub of mint grasshopper (it had grown on her) icecream out of a mini-freezer, punching the air. "Score. No, I don't really care anymore," she responded brazenly, but if Jack pulled off his patch just then, he was sure he would still see tears in his friend's mind. "Clearly wasn't dating the best guy, was I?"

Jack smiled, grabbing two spoons out of a drawer and shining a torch towards a small carpeted area in the corner. They headed toward it, Morrigan wrestling with the container lid. "I guess not," he murmured faintly. "I guess not."

Morrigan looked at him strangely. "Why'd you repeat yourself?"

Jack shrugged, looking away from her searching gaze. "Don't know." And then, just to be irritating: "Don't know."

Morrigan punched him playfully and pulled down the sleeves of her (naturally) black cardigan. "Shut up. You _know _that freaks me out."

Jack frowned, taking a small scoop of icecream. "I don't get why, though."

"Me neither."

A moment of silence passed, and then Jack said hesitantly, "Hey, at least Jupiter will be back tomorrow, right?"

Morrigan snorted, licking her spoon. "Seriously? That guy's not the most punctual, in case you haven't noticed."

"He'll be back for your birthday. He has to be," Jack said firmly, taking Morrigan's hands in his own. "I'm sure of it."

Morrigan wriggled out of his grasp, taking a (what? Hundredth?) scoop of icecream and noting the lingering taste of alcohol in her mouth. "Okay, I believe you." She didn't believe him. Not at all. But hope existed, if only in tiny portions.

A few minutes went by, and Morrigan looked up at the ancient (Jupiter's analysis) analogue clock on the wall. Both hands at the _12_. "Happy birthday to me," she said half-heartedly, and for some reason had to try hard not to burst into tears. "Sweet- sweet sixteen." Jack hugged her, wiping away a few stray tears. He rubbed her back as she started to shake and her breathing quickened its pace, knowing she was thinking about her estranged family back in Jackalfax. "It's okay, Morrigan. You'll be okay." Merely murmuring quiet nothings usually seemed to help for his friend's panic attacks, and so Jack did just that for around ten minutes until Morrigan's breathing slowed down and she stopped trembling.

Morrigan took a deep, shuddering breath, leaning into Jack. "Th- thanks. For that."

"No problem."

Morrigan started to drift off into sleep in Jack's arms (not that he noticed). It was nice and warm in his arms: not sweaty or anything, just smooth and lovely. She started to think about her umbrella for some reason, becoming more and more distant by the second.

The repeated _tick, tock_ of the clock was somehow relaxing, and several moments went by without either of them saying anything.

"You know, Morrigan, now that you and Darwin aren't... a thing anymore... you know I'd never dump you, right?"

Morrigan startled awake and dropped the spoon she had forgotten she'd been holding. "Shit!" she swore, tapping it hastily to make it stop echoing. Jack panicked, cursing himself silently. He shouldn't have been so forward, so sudden, so straight-up, so brash, he should have waited until she was a bit less vulnerable. He shouldn't have-

"What the fuck? Jack Arjuna Korrapati, did you just ask me out, on my birthday, right after another guy dumps my ass unceremoniously? I'm not a whore, you know!" To Jack's relief, Morrigan didn't look angry. She looked amused, if anything.

Jack ran his hands through his hair, a perfect clone of Jupiter (apart from the obvious hair colour and age difference). "I- I know, and I'm so sorry. I just-"

He would have kept on rambling if Morrigan hadn't pressed a finger to his lips. "I say yes."

And she kissed him, slow yet swift. And he kissed her back, running his fingers through _her_ coal-black hair for a change. They melted into one another, tongues exploring each other's mouths like they had never known freedom before.

A minute passed and they were lying on the floor, tearing off their shirts and pants recklessly. Morrigan couldn't explain it, but there was something inside of her- a burning, a wanting, a searching, a yearning, for Jack.

They didn't go that far. They didn't make physical love to each other past the boundaries of their mouths. It was just a sensation of giddy excitement they both wanted with a flaming passion, and soon their clothes had found their way back onto them. They still kissed, not ready to let go of that adrenaline.

Morrigan and Jack broke apart finally, and the former said breathlessly, "I love you, Jack."

"I love you as well, Morrigan."

And from the doorway, an amused voice that could belong to only one person: "And so imagine my surprise when I arrive home to hear noises from the kitchen, and go there only to find my Wunsoc scholar and my nephew hooking up with each other. In a _kitchen_. I mean, seriously!"

Morrigan and Jack leapt away from one another immediately, and they both stood up hastily. "Hi, Jupiter!" the former said brightly. "I'm nearly sixteen, isn't that crazy?"

Jack nodded, flustered. Jupiter rolled his eyes. "Come on, you two. Up to my study."

* * *

Jack and Morrigan sat next to each other on Jupiter's new velvet lounge. They were in a bit of trouble, it seemed.

"Morrigan, are you cheating?" Jupiter asked quietly. Morrigan shook her head instantly, wide-eyed. "No, never! Darwin broke up with me yesterday."

Jupiter winced. "Wow, sorry about that. But you two-" he gestured to her and Jack- "do sort of make a better couple if you ask me."

Morrigan blushed, and Jack snorted. "He was an asshole."

"Language!" Jupiter said warningly.

"He screwed Morrigan over!" protested Jack.

"Fair enough," conceded the former. "Look, I just have a bit of advice for you two, if you insist upon midnight rendezvous to the kitchen to get icecream and, er..." Here Jupiter paused, seemingly catching himself. "... get to know each other. Well, just don't- Okay, it doesn't always end up how you expect. You could end up with a child you were never ready for. Or an illness you never bargained for. Many things could go wrong. So... just be careful. Please."

A minute went by.

"And for heaven's sake, _please_ don't do it in the bloody kitchen!"

* * *

"That was strange," Morrigan remarked to Jack as they headed upstairs to their bedrooms. Jack sighed, squeezing Morrigan's hand. "A lot of things are strange at the moment."

She nodded. "I didn't think I'd ever get that talk from Jupiter, to be honest."

He laughed. "Who'd you think you'd get it from, then, dummy?" he teased. Morrigan shrugged as they reached their rooms. "Dunno."

She placed a hand on her doorknob, and Jack did the same with his. She eyed him for a moment, and then said decidedly, "Hawthorne was right."

"Huh?" asked Jack, entering his room but keeping the door open a crack, looking down the hall at her.

Morrigan turned the knob. "He always said you and I would be better off together than Darwin and me. And get this; he even came up with a ship name for us. It's 'Morrijack'. Disgusting, isn't it?" She smiled fondly at the memory, and disappeared into her bedroom. "Goodnight, Jack. See you tomorrow."

And she closed the door.


End file.
